La Mala Formentera

From Sant Frangesc, Formentera's 'capital', three roads head off for the island's coasts One reaches La Savina, the port for Ibiza, another heads for Cap de Barbaria, and the third for the eastern headland of La Mola. The latter ends at the La Mola lighthouse, built to warn seafarers of the dangerous rocks that lie below it. The rock of the high plateau of Forrnentera's eastern tip is exposed here, the limestone forming a pavement of huge flat slabs. Windblown soil has gathered in the gaps between the slabs and hardy plants have rooted, making the area an interesting spot for the botanist. Walk cautiously across the pavement towards the cliff's edge the cracks between the rock slabs can trip the unwary and there is a sheer drop.

Please be especially careful if you have children with you the view from the headland is magnificent, the rocks themselves in shades of red and grey being particularly picturesque against the turquoise sea. On clear days Mallorca IS visible away to the northeast.

The lighthouse at La Mola was built in 1861 by Emilio Pou. First lit by vegetable oil, it had a range of about 55km. The fuel was changed from oil to paraffin and then to petrol and finally to electricity when Formentera was electrified in the 1960s Interestingly, the upgrading of the light to modern power has meant only a modest increase in range, to 65km. Unfortunately the lighthouse can only be seen from the outside as it is not open to the public.